Geothermal Concept.

HOW DOES GEOTHERMAL HEAT GET UP TO EARTH'S SURFACE?  Conduction Heat from the Earth’s interior flows outward. It is transferred to the outer layer of rock or the crust. Rainwater seeping downward through pores and crevices in the crust to depths of a mile or more is heated. The heated water may be stored at depth in geothermal reservoirs, or the hot water may flow upward out the reservoirs to the surface as hot springs, or boil near the surface to create geysers, fumeroles, and mudpots.  Convection In some regions, the mantle beneath the crust may be hot enough to partly melt and create magma. Magma rising upward out of the mantle can bring intense shallow heat into the crust Magma or very hot rock

Geothermal Energy Generation Direct Small scale uses Heating homes Hot springs Greenhouse heating Food dehydration plants Agriculture – Crop drying – Milk pasteurization Electrical Dry steam Flash steam Binary cycle

HOW IS ELECTRICITY GENERATED USING GEOTHERMAL ENERGY? Dry Steam Power Plant Geothermal water is passed through a heat exchanger to heat a secondary fluid that vaporizes at a lower temperature than water. The fluid vapor spins the turbine/generator, is condensed back to liquid and re-vaporized at the heat exchanger. A few geothermal reservoirs produce mostly steam and very little water. The steam shoots directly through a rock-catcher and into the turbine. The geothermal fluids are brought to the surface through wells that are drilled deep into the earth. The hot water (300˚F or more) is highly pressurized. As the water pressure is reduced during transit to the surface, 30 – 40% of the water flashes (explosively boils) to steam. The steam is fed to a turbine/generator to produce electricity. The remaining water is returned into the earth to help maintain pressure and prolong the productivity of the geothermal well. Flash Steam Power Plant

Geothermal Plant

Conclusion Overall, geothermal appears to be a sound solution to energy needs Geothermal energy has the ability to expand Few environmental effects Very cost efficient Geothermal is RENEWABLE